And wallace



Z Sheetss-fSheev't 3. B; H. & W.y H. CAMP.

POST-owns BOXES.

WITNESEEE:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BUSHROD H. CAMP, 0F GHARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, AND WALLACE H. CAMP, OFWATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT H'Ll POST-OFFICE BOXES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,890, dated September4, 1877; application filed August 3, 1877.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, BUSHROD H. CAMP, ofCharlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, andWALLACE HUCAMP, of Waterbury, in the county oi' New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Office Lock-Box; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, whichwiil enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in post-officelock-boxes.

The invention consists in a postofce box as a new article of manufacturecomplete in itself, admitting of any number of boxes beingcombined andsecured together; also, in the special construction and arrangement ofparts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our inventionappertains to make, construct, and use the same, we will now proceed todescribe its construction and operation, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and inwhich- Figure lis a perspective view, showing four boxes placed in acasing, shown part in section. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of one of the. boxes. Fig. 3 is a front view oi' thebox-door, showing the face of its frame removed. Fig. a s .ows the doorprovided with one side loi" a hinge. Fig. l5 shows the .door having atongue formed into one side or member of a hinge. Fig. 6 is a viewshowing the back part `of the box provided with a device for4 holding:the name of' the person using the box. Fig. 7 is a view showing thename-holding device detached, alsoits means of attachment. Fig. Sis acentral vertical section through the door-glass and its supportingdevice.

A represents the box provided on both sides with vertical grooves a andon the top and bottom with transverse grooves b. The front of the box iscut away at m to receive the flanges e of the frame B, in order that thesmoothness or uniformity of the sides may not be obstructed.

To the frame B is hinged the door C, which is cast or stamped from sheetmetal, as may be desired. When the door is cast it is provided Withhinges d, and when stamped from sheet metalit is formed with extensionse,which are bent to form a hinge.

The door is hung by passing the hinge into recesses cut in the frame,and through the eye ofthe hinge is passed a wire, j', which extends allaround the frame in the trough between the iianges c. vents the face gof the frame from beingmashed in.

The frame is also provided with a recess, 72 into which the door tits,so as to be somewhat back of theface, thereby rendering it diffx'd cultto be opened by passing a sharp instru ment of any kind into the crackaround the door.

The door is provided with glass at the top and bottom to admit light andenable persons to see the contents of the box. The glass i5 held bycylinders 'i slit on one side, soldered to the door. One corner of eachcylinderg's turned up and the glass forced in. Said cyi inders are madeof suitable metal, so that they will act as a spring, thereby securelyretaining the glass in place and preventing any rattling on shaking thedoor.

At the back of the box is placed a device for holding the name of theperson using the box. This device also prevents any papers or lettersthat may be in the box from falling out.

When any number of these boxes are placed in position-i. e., side byside and one above the other--the grooves a and b are in a line down andacrossthe boxes. Into these grooves are placed ns D E, which, with thegrooves, form feather-joints, thereby locking them together andpreventing any displacement of any one of the boxes.

Any desired number of the boxes may be placed in a casing, F, havinggrooves a', b', and c, and any number of cases locked together withtins. These cases also serve as a receptacle, into which the boxes maybe packed This wire strengthens and pre*` i ber combined and securedtogether in :my deslred forni.

Having thus fully described our invention,

what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. .As a new article o'i' manufacture, it postofce letter-box, A, beingAmade independent and complete in or of itself, and provided with Ineens,substantially as described, which admit of any number of boxes beingcombined and. secured together.

2. The box A, provided near the back With grooves a on two verticalsides, and near the front, on the top and bottom, with grooves b toii'eceive iins D and E, by which ineens they are locked together toprevent one or more oi' the boxes from bein g withdrawn, substan tiellyas described.

3. The casing F, having' grooves' a', b', and

c, in combination with the boxes A, provided with grooves a, b and finsD and E, substantially as described.

4. A postofee letter-box door, provided with slit cylinders f,substantially as shown and described, each adapted to receive one odgeof the glass, and, by its constant pressnre, secure the glass in placeand prevent its rattling', as se?. forth.

ln testimonyr that We claim the foregoing als our own We affix oursignatures in presence ot' two witnesses.

B. H. CAMP.

W. H. CAMP. Witnesses C. L.- NORTON, EUGIN L. JACQUES.

